Blogging for Blondies!

I mean, everyone knows we have more fun!

This is Kelly, and this is her insane mane! Actually, this is Mane 2.0 - both were originally installed in Thailand, and I've now maintained round 1 and this latest incarnation. With easily the largest number of dreads in my female clientele, from a distance you'd need a double-take to realize she even has locks. In the future we may end up combining a fair amount of these. Really tiny sections still keep hanging onto shedded hair (like we know all successful locks do) sometimes becoming too heavy for a small root to support. Adding bleach to the mix can also cause breakage, contributing to the overall weakness. However, Kelly maintains her locks so well this might never be an issue! The maintenance went great, and only took 2 hours.

Marlowe's dreads had a pretty rough start. They were backcombed and interlocked - the practice of flipping a dread through itself at the root to keep it close to the scalp. She came to me two months ago with big holes in her dreads, hard twisty knots, and some pretty wacky sectioning. The shape of the locks themselves was pretty out of whack, mostly because she was totally overwhlemed - she didn't know where to start. We took a few hours and Reconstructed, and I couldn't be more stoked with the result! The two pictures to the left is how she walked in yesterday - with gorgeous, well kept dreads, just needing a tightening at the scalp. No weird hard bumps or bizarro elbow shapes. (I may have fawned a bit, I admit it.) The picture on the right is after the tightening. I'm so excited to see these dreads grow, and I'm very happy to see how happy Marlowe now is with her hair.

Oh, how I love blond dreadlocks! I miss mine tons. (Most especially when I wake up in the morning looking like 1984.) If you and your locks are... um... helping nature along a little bit, here are a couple of things to consider.

1) If you aren't looking to go platinum, consider using a permanent haircolour instead of bleach. It's got an automatic "shutoff" time, whereas bleach continues to "work" until you shampoo it out.

2) Bleach will NOT get your hair white. Platinum and all other "cool" blond shades are achieved using toners on lightened hair. If you try and achieve coolness with lighteners alone, you will only achieve breakage.

3) Be cautious when retouching your roots. If you've achieved the desired lightness in the body of your lock, don't just "use up the rest" by pouring the leftovers on your dreads. Remember, your hair isn't getting all the conditioning it once did - chemical overuse can easily cause breakage.

4) Don't get overzealous. 6-8 weeks is average for a root retouch. Every time you use bleach on your roots, it rinses through all your dreads in the sink. (Just like when you wash your scalp, the soapy rinse is enough to clean your locks themselves.) Try coating them before you apply product, like a stylist would apply a barrier cream to protect your skin. Give a good palmroll with a light amount of wax to your already coloured ends.

5) RINSE! RINSE! RINSE! SHAMPOO! RINSE! RINSE! RINSE!

6) If you have ever had bleach in your locks (specifically bleach, not including colour) do NOT under any circumstances allow a stylist to start or maintain your locks using perm solution, or a "dread perm" until is has completely grown out! Even if it's underneath other colour. This is not a drill. They are not compatible chemicals, and will cause your hair to melt. This is not an exaggeration. It's really nasty.

Honestly, I don't endorse using bleach at home. It's a caustic chemical best left in the hands of a professional who understands it's properties. If you are have any doubts whatsoever, go to your local hair shop, or better yet - come see me! I'd love to see you!

No Dreads Wednesday

Today was a DreadFree day in the shop! It's a pretty rare one when I just do cuts and colours, but I had a blast!

This is Marina. She's usually found anchored to her desk, answering Customer Service calls in the space above the KB Lock Shop (aka - where the grownups do actual "work".) She got a really cute asymmetrical haircut from another stylist before her vacation, but was ready to switch it up. We changed the silhouette and added a flash of lilac to the bangs.

Here's Mikey deliberately throwing me his best "deer caught in headlights". (I'm sure it had nothing to do with his cut and colour bill.) He was blond a couple of hours ago (maybe that's it?) but with summer over, he wanted to switch it back to a darker, more natural shade. We cut off about 4 inches all over, placed some highlights in the front, and hit everything with the ashiest toner I could find. I'm going to have to get my hands on some nice pics, because Mikey looked damn handsome walking out the door!

Sorry folks, it's once again with the weird freakin' formatting... fix it, blogger!

I'm Just A Girl Who Can't Say No...

So I've been laid up with the Fresh Meat Flu for the last few days, major side-effects including runny nose, exhaustion, and near-constant complaining. I know you're thinking, "Hey! Isn't being stuck in bed the perfect opportunity for blogging?", and I feel you - but really, you didn't want to hear about it. Really. Thanks to a couple of immune buddies, some homemade ice cream, and a sh*tload of comic books, I'm on the mend and back at work. Too bad my client wasn't able to show up. Burn, dude! But, as lame as a no-show can be (life happens!) there's a flipside to every coin...

So last Saturday, I rolled into work after spending a very early, very long morning at a meeting for the Derby league. I was stoked to come in and spend a mellow couple hours with some long-time haircut clients. So I get started on my 2 o'clock...when my other 2 o'clock shows. Wha? Yeah. My 2 o'clock dreadlock appointment. From out of town. Who can't come back. Who I've never heard of.
Oh man. Clearly there's been a pretty major miscommunication at some point... what to do? I couldn't bail on my booked appointments, so Brenna and I struck a deal to start a late night dread sesh at 4pm.



This lady has a lot of hair. A lot of long hair. She pretty much made my week when she told me that she wanted "quarter-sized" locks. (Translate that to bigger than normal.) Oh man, her hair dreaded like a dream! (Mad props to Carolyn the Coffee Fairy for keeping that dream alive.) She was really sweet to boot. Even in the larger size Brenna ended up with 59 locks. At 6.5 hours, it was definitely a later night than either of us had bargained for - and it ended up being a 12 hour day for me in the end. But we were both so happy with the outcome, I'm really glad we took the time.



The only real downside to taking the appointment was that I ended up missing Derby practice that night. According to firsthand accounts, it was "the most brutal" seen yet. So it's probably safe to assume I'll get my ass handed to me tonight. If you want to see the carnage firsthand, I'll be showing off my bruises afterwards at The Cobalt for the 4th Team Unveiling Party. Deets here.

Our Daily Dread

This adorable face belongs to Kate! Her dreads took 5 hours straight - no rest for the wicked.



Speaking of no rest - I normally have more to say, but the Cocaine Moustache boys and Nashville Pussy rocked my face off last night, and I've gotta get it together enough to roll to Derby practice asap. Happy Friday, everyone!

Andrea

Last Saturday afternoon I had a sit with Andrea, who came all the way from Campbell River! Andrea had been a client of another dread stylist, so the pressure was on. She was expecting a lot outta me... and on a Saturday, too.



The Mission: Andrea has about 30 locks, and she loves them. What she wasn't so keen on was the level of coverage she was getting as they grew out. So our mission this day was to start with the basics and maintain her roots - then pull on our fancypants for adding volume and density by filling in those gaps!



Step one: fulfill client's Rapunzel fantasy! Just kidding... I think. Look at that face! Clearly someone's enjoying themselves here. We're done the maintenance and just finished installing the superridiculouslyhighquality kanekalon fiber at the root of every one of Andrea's locks, some in her natural colour, others in subtle (and not-so-subtle) highlights. I back away so that she may bask in the synthetic glow...



And Ta freakin' DA! Mission :Accomplished! A few hours of steamy action later (stop right there, gutterbrain...) and all that loose hair is twisted up nice and tight in Synth Dreads, sitting snugly between Andrea's natural locks. Each individual section now has 3 dreads springing from it, bumping her total up from 30 to 90! That is a seriously full head of hair!

With a few washes, those synth dreads lose their New Lock Shine - they blend in really well with natural dreads. As her hair continues to grow, I'll move those locks up to the roots again and again - the quality of the hair is so good, you can keep using the same locks for years. When she gets tired of the turquoise, we'll switch it up, easy as a snip of thread! (That's easy, yo.) Should Andrea choose not to reinstall her synth, she can instead put them onto an elastic fall and tie them in when it suits her.

Thanks for hanging out, Andrea - it was a wicked time! Looking forward to seeing you in the spring :)

Our Daily Dread

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Vincent. We first met about two months ago when he dropped in for a consult, only to have me turn him away; alas, his hair was too short.
So I was happy to see his name on the books in the morning, and stoked because dreads are the perfect way to dust off the cobwebs from the weekend!


Vincent requested average/slightly-larger-than-average sections, so I gave him the spiel about length loss (a la Ariel) and when I got the okay, off we went.



It's not tuff to tell that Vincent is a pretty fun guy to spend an afternoon with. We chatted about all sorts of stuff, which is how I learned about his awesome Origami CD cases - a really great idea for bands who don't wanna have to buy a case-lot of jewel cases. For more info, check out Vincent's website here!

Commitmentphobes. I love 'em.

You've read the piece, you know that dreadlocks are kind of a big deal. You gotta palmroll them, and if you want them to look their best, you have to put some effort in. For at least a little while you have to - that's right, kiddos - commit.

If that just brought out your inner Iron Maiden theme song, you are not alone. Dreads are only as permanent as you want them to be, but if you're unwilling to look down the road a couple months, they may not be for you. Love the look, but need to be able to change your mind at a moments notice? Scope out these lovely ladies!



Synthetic Dreads give you the option of immediate extreme length without waiting, and without the maintenance of traditional locks. There is no palmrolling, and no product necessary. You can rock these awesome locks for on average two to three months. When time's up, you can choose to re-tighten them as is, change up the colours and make some new ones, or simply take them out and go back to your own natural hair. It's a great option if you're growing out your hair and want to disguise it for a while - your own hair is hidden underneath, safe and sound from your scissor-happy frustrations! (I feel your pain, friends.)



If you already have dreads and are looking to add some... zazz? (That's for becca. She just loves the zazz.) We can add Synth Dreads as fillers to the base of your existing dreads. It's a great option if you're feeling a little thin in your placement as well - a few synth dreads at the root can really fill in the gaps. I've got a ridiculous assortment of colours in front of me, natural to... not so much.

Still too much of a commitment? Need to be able to change your locks as often as your socks? Come on down to visit and we can chat about a Custom Fall. Double-ended locks on an elastic or a cord to be tied into your natural hair in seconds! Doesn't get any easier than that!

Waiting's for suckers!

So stop me if you've heard this one before:

"I want dreads, but I don't want little stubby ones." (Bummer.)

"I want dreads, but I don't want them to stick straight out." (Total bummer.)

"I want dreads, but I would rather get a haircut from a rusty lawnmower than grow my hair out."

(Okay, that one's a direct quote from me.)

I want dreads, but... But what? All through high school I wanted dreads - but I could never get past the really gnarly 'growing out' phase. That special time when my puffy hair started growing out rather than out. When the celebrity I closest resembled was famous for playing Luke Skywalker. Yeah - that hair. Man, if only I knew then what I know now. So what do I know, anyways?

Human Hair Dreadlock Extensions! I really wanted long hair, but could not get there myself. I even tried regular human hair extensions, but they weren't for me. Too much daily/nightly maintenance for someone's who's essentially a wash n' wear kinda gal. So we pulled out my new extensions, and we kinda recycled 'em. What sounds easier - 5 gazillion pieces of long hair? Or 50? No contest, right? When I started my locks, my hair was about 4 inches long. Really! People who had seen me just days before had to do a double-take, they are that natural. No one could tell where my lock ended and my newly aded length began; not even myself. Long hair and easy styling? Yes, yes, and yes. Please.

How's it work? Well, this is something I usually take on over a couple days - the first one for natural locks, and the second for adding length. Most often, the appointments are roughly equal for time, about 6 to 8 hours (or about 1.5 seasons of Metalocalypse with bonus features. And singalongs.) Your new length is woven in the same method as your new dreads are started (or as I've tuned up your existing locks) using high quality human hair, so the join between your natural and your new long lock will be undetectable. There may be a slight colour/texture difference in the first weeks, but with a few washes and palmrolls, that dread becomes one unified felted lock fast.

This is serious rockstar hair! And it's without a doubt my favourite service to provide in the shop.

If you're interested in Dreadlock Extensions but aren't sure if they're for you, stop by the chair for a chat. Consultations are always on the house.

Our Daily Dread.

Ariel came in for dreadlocks today! She popped in for a consult last week, and when she took her hair outta her cap I just about fainted. That is a lot of hair. Thankfully, she assured me she wasn't looking for a bazillion tiny locks, so I was reasonably sure I wouldn't have to clear my week.

So, as I had my morning caffeinebomb, and Ariel had what looked like a homemade raspberry smoothie (probably not designed to make me feel like a diabeetus-bound sugar junkie) we rehashed the day's plan. Turns out that while she's sticking to the plan of not getting really small dreads (phew!) she now wanted really BIG ones. Hey, no problem, I say!

Except there's a problem.

Ariel's a small girl. I couldn't make her sections very big or she'd end up with twenty locks, maybe. Extra large sections can look great to start out, but once they grow out you've got a ton of loose hair between very few formed dreads - definitely not the "lions mane" she was looking to rock! So, like the grownups we are (well, like she is) we made a compromise. I made the sections a touch larger than i normally would, and she gave the okay to give up her length.

Normally with the techniques I use, my clients end up losing anywhere from an inch to a few inches, depending on the state of their ends - far less than in the traditional backcomb-and-wax method. Most people are happy to sport a tapered dread to keep their length, and some folks straight up prefer the softer finish. With Ariel's hair, I backcombed far tighter than was strictly necessary to lock (pushing all her length to the scalp) where I could weave a tight, fat dread with a blunted end for consistency. We're both totally stoked on how it turned out!

"You can do that?"

Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, your hair can get a little out of hand. I'm not talking "loose hair, a little bit of joining" like my last post, I'm talking "Oh wait... why do I only have one dreadlock now?". There is a crazy amount of misinformation on the subject of dreads, and you need to be discerning about who you listen to. You would not believe the insane theories I've heard surrounding starting dreads and maintaining them. (I'm not going to get into it right now as that would deprive me of an excellent rant subject for a later post, but as a general rule you can safely avoid vehicle fluids and food, all right?)

Today I want to explain what goes into Dreadlock Repair and Reconstruction services. It's one of the more "wow! awesome!" services offered at the shop - it makes a huge difference in how people look at their hair. R&R is a step up in intensity from Root Maintenance, and it covers a whole lot o' dissatisfactions we see regularly. In repairs, I'm looking for folks with semi- mature/mature dreads who have neglected to maintain them, or worse - were never told how to by their stylists. Besides reattaching broken locks and strengthening weak spots, I can fix these common dread problems:

Matting between locks

Major joining

Undreaded sections

Irregularities in shape

Before

After!

In cases of Reconstruction, I'm looking at newer, immature locks. Most often they've been started at home, and just aren't as radtastic as my client would like. I start by resectioning, and reweaving from top to bottom to create tight, easier-to-maintain locks. It's tough to tell from the picture, but there are sections started in here - only problem is that they're waaaay too small. Sounds like a great idea at the time, until you have to individually palmroll 100 dreads. I'm not gonna say you won't... but I will say that most won't.

Before Reconstruction

After Reconstruction

And even after joining up most of her dreads, she still had about 50! After a few days the gaps become less visible, and the tightly woven locks start to lay flat. You have an almost-new head of dreadlocks! If any of these pictures look familiar, come on by to chat about it. I'll see what I can do!

please excuse all the wacky formatting, but i've been fighting with blogger all freakin' day. sorry about that migraine, kiddo.